Individual, organizational, and societal perspectives on information delivery systems

bright and dark sides to push and pull technologies

Julie E. Kendall

Kenneth E. Kendall

pp. 179-193

in: Richard Baskerville, Jan Stage, Janice DeGross (eds), Organizational and social perspectives on information technology, Berlin, Springer, 2000

Abstract

Two competing visions of humans and whether they eschew or embrace the use of pull and push technologies can help us to envision the future. It is said that George Orwell feared that what we hate will ruin us. On the other hand, Aldous Huxley feared that what we love will ruin us (Postman 1985). Information delivery systems, also called pull and push technologies, are ways to obtain and deliver information to users. This article briefly reviews the types of pull and push technologies, then goes on to explore the major benefits of both pull and push. But as the benefits of information delivery systems are elaborated, the darker side of push and pull are also exposed. Some alarming possibilities for future use of these technologies are identified, but this article goes on to discover and create both remedies and resolution mechanisms to counter the threats to individuals, organizations, and society. When remedies have no effect, the alternative may be unplugging.